


photograph you in this light

by achalk



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, S1, Team Fluff, Team as Family, family picture, ft. fitzsimmons bickering, soft bus kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:06:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25180609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/achalk/pseuds/achalk
Summary: “What’s that for, Agent Burrows?” questions Coulson distrustfully, eyeing the camera in Burrows’ hand.“Well, we’re starting a newsletter to show off our best and brightest, and need a shot of you guys!” he says, grinning. “Y’know, like a family photo type thing-""We aren't a family!" Ward says indignantly, glaring at Skye."You could've fooled me," May remarks dryly, then concedes, “Fine. One photo.”
Relationships: Jemma Simmons/Skye | Daisy Johnson, if you squint, not really relationship-centric though
Kudos: 39





	photograph you in this light

**Author's Note:**

> title from When We Were Young by Adele  
> yes i know in s1 burrows hadn’t been introduced but someone had to take the photo (and he is the pr guy) so just roll with it ok  
> also i wanted the title to be short so i only used half of the lyric - the full thing is ‘let me photograph you in this light’ but then it goes ‘in case this is the last time’, and now i’m sad

It’s when they’re all hanging around on the beach, waiting for the extraction team, that it happens. All in all, it was a successful mission – the get-in-get-out type, and they’d done a pretty good job (although, Skye thinks, if they’d _really_ done a good job, she probably wouldn’t be covered in so much sand), and now there’s not much to do apart from just sitting and waiting. May and Coulson are standing and conversing quietly (in actuality Coulson is doing most of the conversing, while May stands there with her signature expressionless face and offers the occasional nod of agreement), Skye is trying to engage Ward in a game of footsies (to no avail), and Fitz is talking animatedly to Jemma about some new feature on the drones.

It’s only when Skye has jabbed Ward in the ribs out of pure boredom that the plane finally shows up (to a collective sigh of relief), but then off gets none other than Agent Burrows (to a collective sigh of _oh god kill me now_ ).

“Hello, everyone!” he announces far too enthusiastically, bounding up the sandy hill to them, and it’s only when he’s a metre away that they notice the camera he’s gesturing with. This time their sigh can probably be heard from Asgard.

“What’s that for, Agent Burrows?” questions Coulson distrustfully as he eyes the camera.

“Well, us at PR are starting a newsletter to show off our best and brightest, and so I suggested maybe we get a shot of you guys!” he says, grinning. “Y’know, like a family-photo-type thing- “

"We aren't a family!" Ward says indignantly, glaring at Skye.

"You could've fooled me," May remarks dryly (in true May fashion), then concedes, “Fine. One photo.”

“Ooh, a photograph!” exclaims Jemma keenly, as if she’s never heard of such a thing. “This is exciting!”

Fitz turns on her incredulously. “Exciting? What the hell are you thinking!”

“ _I’m_ thinking it’s a good way to get exposure, maybe show your - oh, what is it you’re always saying? ‘underappreciated genius’?” She glares at him, eyebrows raised.

“Yes, but not in a newsletter, for heaven’s sake – “

“Why not? It’s one picture, Fitz!”

“Yeah, well, we get our picture taken and before you know it all of bloody SHIELD has seen it- “

“That is the idea, yes- ” cuts in Burrows (and is met with a hissed “not the time, man!” from Skye, because “seriously, dude, not helping”), and that just fuels Fitz further.

“See! This is a bad idea, Jemma, I’m telling you…” Fitz trails off, fretting and pulling at his curls with mutterings of “ _what is wrong with you all, you’ll regret this later_ ” and what vaguely sounds like various death threats directed at Burrows.

Coulson heaves a long-suffering sigh as he seems to realise that the faster this gets done, the faster they can get back on the bus. “Alright - Fitz, pull yourself together, it’s just one photo - Skye, Ward, get over here – come on, guys, at least act like you know each other – “

After a bit of shuffling around (and more grumbling from Fitz), they manage to get themselves organised in something resembling a professional arrangement.

The end result makes Burrow’s face fall slightly in disappointment (which he attempts to mask with a half-cheery “wow, this is great” that fools no one): Ward has his arms crossed, shoulders hunched, and is looking just past the camera with an expression of mild distress, May looks stoic as ever, and not very smiley (but then, when is May ever smiley), Fitz is off to the side, arms crossed as he glares at Jemma, and Jemma herself seems to be just gazing dreamily at Skye.

Really, only Coulson and Skye seem aware that a photo was being taken, and their pose resembles a nice father-daughter relationship. Burrows considers cropping the rest of them out, because the shot of the two of them is actually quite nice, but he has orders and this is supposed to be a “group photo” (so instead he just sighs resignedly and accepts that he may not have a job anymore). Burrows thanks them for their time and heads off to a separate Quinjet.

“Honestly, Fitz, you would think you’ve never been in a photo before this!” Jemma comments, as Burrows departs and they’re all walking back onto the Bus.

Fitz scowls. “Yeah, well, it’s not my fault I was _forced into this_ by _someone_ – “

“You were the one who wanted to be appreciated!” Jemma huffs crossly, and Coulson’s helpless “dear god make it stop” seems to go unnoticed.

“Hey, I’m just saying- “

“Well, say it in your head, Fitz,” and they all turn, shocked, to May. She continues calmly, “It was one photo for a newsletter we’ll all be too busy to read. Get over it.”

Fitz looks shocked (though, Jemma thinks, he really should have seen this coming) but Jemma’s glad he doesn’t do anything other than open and close his mouth repeatedly in quite the impression of a goldfish. Ward is muttering about how he _did not sign up for this_ , and Skye looks about two seconds away from abandoning all dignity and screaming into the sea.

“I’d say we all looked quite nice,” Coulson says placatingly, ever the mediator.

* * *

Burrow’s email with the photo attached arrives in the evening, and they all gather around a computer with varying levels of enthusiasm to see it.

“Hey, we’re cute,” Skye admits, reluctantly grinning. “I mean, Ward looks kinda shifty, but, y’know… I think it’s just his face.”

“Please be nice,” Coulson begs her.

“Oh, it’s fine,” Skye says dismissively. “I think we’ve all gotten used to it by now.”

“Hey, it wasn’t that bad-”

“And anyways,” Skye continues, apparently not hearing Ward’s helpless protest as she zooms in to scrutinise it some more, “Jemma looks pretty, as always.” She flashes a grin at Jemma, who goes red and wide-eyed and manages to stutter out a thanks.

“I think that’s probably enough,” says Coulson firmly – but, rather than deleting the photo out of existence, he prints it, and hangs it on the wall of the common area (ignoring the outbursts of Fitz and Ward).

“A picture-perfect family,” Skye declares, kicking her legs up into Jemma’s lap as Coulson puts an arm around May.

And they were.


End file.
